Display-rack



(No Model.)

. -D. G. MARTIN.

DISPLAY RACK.

No. 562,007. Patent ed June 16, 1896.

fitter/11 5 A, 3

in position for exhibiting the articles.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIcE.

DAVID C. MARTIN, OF l-IAGERSTOIV N, MARYLAND.

DISPLAY-RAG K.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,007, dated June 16, 1896.

Application filed September 19, 1895. Serial No. 562,943. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, DAVID C. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hagerstown, in the county of Washington and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Racks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to display racks or frames, but more particularly to those employed to exhibit or display blankets, robes, and analogous articles.

The primary object of my invention is to provide means for holding a number of superposed sample or display blankets or like articles, whereby one or more of the same may be lifted and thrown back to expose each successive article, and at the same time to permit the ready withdrawal of one or more of the samples when the stock which corresponds with the sample is exhausted and said sample is desired for use or for sale.

Another object is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and durable rack, which will occupy a minimum of space and which may be readily taken apart for transportation or storage purposes.

A further object is to arrange the blankets or robes 'so that they may be readily accessible, easily handled, and at the same time to prevent any unnecessary exposure to the weather or light, which often affects the appearance of such articles, particularly the inferior qualities of blankets.

IVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and combination of the several parts, substantially as hereinafter described, and more particularly defined in the claims at the end of the description.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the invention Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View on the line H II of Fig. 1, illustrating the position of the blankets or robes while exhibiting them, and in dotted lines the position of the blankets when it is desired to remove one or more of the same. enlarged scale, of the upper portion of the rack with the hanger thrown at an angle to the standards; and Fig. 4 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the upper portion of the rack in the position shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, A A may designate standards or uprights, preferably of metallic pipe, and provided at their lower ends with base plates or disks a a, which may rest upon the floor or be rigidly secured thereto, as desired. These standards form the main support and are rigidly secured together near their upper ends by a cross rod or pipe at, upon which are placed the blankets or robes, said pipe or cross-rod being preferably screw-threaded at its ends and arranged to engage pipe-fittings or Ts a a secured to the upper ends of said standards, though the cross-rod may be secured to the standards in any other preferred manner. Above the cross-rod a is a transverse hanger B, suitably supported upon the standards A A, and adapted to form a rest or support for the forward ends of the blankets while exhibiting the same, as illustrated in Fig. 2. By this arrangement the blankets or analogous articles may be superposed and thereby made to occupy a minimum of space, at the same time avoiding injurious exposure either to air or to light, so that the appearance of said articles will not be sufficiently impaired to prevent a ready sale of the same.

Owing to the bulky or more or less weighty nature of blankets, robes, and the like, particularly when superposed, the friction between the opposed surfaces of said blankets or articles is so great that it is difficult, if-not impossible, to remove one or more of the lowermost of said blankets without some provision being made therefor, and for this purpose I preferably arrange the hanger B to swing at an angle to the standards or support A A. This hanger may be of any preferred form and mounted or supported upon the standards A A in any suitable manner; but I prefer to have the arms 19 b of said hanger extend downward and pivoted by the bolts 1) Z) to the forked ends of the coupling-pieces Z2 11 which latter may be secured to TS a a or directly to said standards.

The arms I) b may be formed integral with the main body portion h or, as shown, the

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on an ends may be of pipe-sections secured to the pipe-fittings b" U, respectively, arranged on the end of said body portion, the pipe-fitting b being preferably a T provided with a plug 1) in its outer end, the whole thus forming a substantially U-shaped hanger. This plug has the usual square end or projection adapted to be engaged by a square aperture in a spring 11 so as to retain the arm B in a vertical or raised position, said spring being secured to one of the standards by the bolt b, and provided with a handle or other gripping device 11 for disengaging said spring from the plug Z), so that the hanger B may be thrown to one. side when it is desired to remove a blanket,

'as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

The manner of constructing and using the invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be seen,when the hanger B is in a raised position and the blankets are arranged upon the cross-rod a, that the forward ends of each blanket may be successively thrown back and supported upon said hanger, so that each may be properly exhibited. Should you 110w wish to remove one of the blanketsas c, for instance-it may be readily doneby disengaging the spring b from the plug 1), when the hanger may be thrown to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, at which time the weight or pressure of the upper blankets on the back of the blanket 0 will be relieved to permit the ready removal of said blanket or other article.

Ordinarily the space between the body portion U of the hanger l3 and the cross-rod ais entirely occupied by sample blankets or rugs; but for purposes of illustration a few only are shown, though the-number varies according to the different requirements.

I have shown the rack as made almost entirely of pipe and pipe-fittings; but it is to be understood that I do not confine myself to the construction shown, and that I adopt said pipes and fittings for the reason that the same may be readily purchased and the structure conveniently repaired or taken apart when desired, at the same time affording a light and durable display-rack.

Instead of the hanger I3 being pivoted to the coupling-pieces b the said arm may be pivoted directly to the standards A A, or the same may be secured or pivoted to the crossrod a, so as to swing at approximately a right angle to the standards, and instead of the spring I) a hook or any other suitable device may be employed for holding the hanger in a vertical position. In some instances but one standard or support may be used, in which case I prefer to provide a brace extending from the cross-rod to said standard or support.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a display-rack, the combination with a pair of vertical1y-disposed standards, of a transversely-arran ged cross-rod securing said standards together at their upper portions upon which maybe placed a series of superposed blankets or articles to be exhibited, and a hanger located above said cross-rod to form a rest for the ends of said blankets when the same are thrown back; said hanger being pivotally secured to said standards and adapted to carry the blankets or articles resting thereon rearward when said hanger is tilted on its pivot, whereby the pressure or weight of the blankets resting upon the hanger may be rem oved from those remaining on the crossrod so as to permit the withdrawal of one or more of the articles, substantially as described.

2. In a display-rack, the combination with a pair of uprights or standards provided with suitable base-plates adapted to be secured to the floor, of a transversely-arranged cross-rod securing said standards together and upon which the articles to be exhibited may be placed, a transversely-arrangcd hanger located above said cross-rod and provided with downwardlyextending arms which are pivotally secured to said standards above the cross-rod so as to permit said hanger to be thrown at an angle thereto and to carry the articles or blankets placed thereon to the side of those remaining on the eross-rod, together with means for retaining the hangers in a raised position, whereby said hanger may serve as a rest for each successive blanket or article after exhibiting the same, and to remove the weight or pressure of the upper articles from those remaining on the crossrod to permit the withdrawal of one or more of the blankets, substantially as described.

In a display-rack, the combination with suitable standards, of a transverse stationary cross-rod rigidly securing said standards together, 'a substantially U shaped hanger pivotally mounted upon said standards above said cross-rod and adapted to be thrown at an angle to the standards, together with a spring adapted to engage and rigidly hold said hanger in a raised position and to be released therefrom so as to permit the same to be tilted on its pivot, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a display-rack, the combination with. a pair of standards, of a transversely -ar ranged cross-rod rigidly securing said standards together, a hanger located above said crossrod comprising a body portion and arms extending downwardly therefrom, coupling pieces for pivotally securing the hanger to the upper ends of said standards, together with a spring provided with an aperture for engaging a projection on said hanger to retain the same in a raised position and to permit the hanger to be tilted on its pivot, substantially as described.

5. I11 a display-rack, the combination with a pair of standards provided with suitable base-plates, of a transversely-arranged crossrod removably securing said standards together, ahanger located above said. cross-rod,

comprising a body portion, and arms removthat the hanger may be tilted on its pivot, ably secured thereto, coupling-pieces having substantially as described. IO forked ends for pivotally securing said arms In testimony whereof I affix my signature to the standards, a plug arranged on the in presence of two Witnesses.

5 hanger, a spring provided with an aperture DAVID C. MARTIN.

for engaging a projection on said plug to re- Witnesses: tain said hanger in a raised position, together D. M. BREMER, with a handle for disengaging said spring so GEO. F. BURKHART. 

